This invention generally relates to guide rails. More specifically, this invention relates to guide rails for an elevator system.
Elevator systems typically include a set of guide rails for guiding an elevator car as it moves vertically within a hoistway. Typical guide rails have a generally T-shaped cross-section with a base portion that is secured to a hoistway wall using conventional brackets. A blade portion extending away from the base portion provides guiding surfaces along which guide rollers or slides travel during movement of the elevator car. The blade portion of the guide rail additionally provides a surface that the elevator safeties engage during an overspeed condition. Because of these functions, the blade portion of a guide rail must have suitable surface characteristics. Conventional guide rails are made from steel, and the surfaces must be protected from corrosion during storage and shipment as well as during use in the hoistway. The base portion of a guide rail is typically painted to prevent corrosion. The blade portion, however, is not painted in order to prevent the paint from affecting the operation of the elevator safeties that must act on the blade portion.
Nevertheless, the blade portion of the guide rails should be protected from corrosion during shipment and storage before the time of installation. One conventional method includes applying an anti-corrosion coating, such as wax, grease or oil, to the blade portion. No consistent and/or efficient cleaning process exists to remove the coating and to ensure a suitable surface for the safety to engage. The labor and expense involved with removing the coating introduces additional cost and time required for installation of an elevator system. In addition, the coating must unfortunately be removed at the installation site using a chemical solvent. This technique generates waste, such as rags soaked with solvent that requires disposal.